Banoffee Pie
Banoffee Pie: a classic combination of bananas & toffee, layered in a crunchy graham cracker crust & crowned with whipped cream. Heavenly!
Original publish date: 1/25/2019.
At this time of year, fresh seasonal fruit can be scarce, so it’s nice to bake with citrus and tropical fruits like bananas.
Today, we’re spotlighting the banana in all its sweet and creamy glory.
It’s banoffee pie, baby!
Get ready, because I’m about to fill you all in on this classic UK dessert. What it is, and how to make and serve the best banoffee pie recipe ever!
No-bake recipes like these are so great at this time of year!
For one thing, you don’t have to heat up your oven which is nice when you want to keep cool.
But they’re also easier to make and so refreshing! Nothing beats a cool treat out on the patio on a warm summer night.
Check out my coconut cream pie, no-churn Oreo ice cream, and no-bake chocolate cheesecake recipes if you feel me.
But first, let’s talk banoffee!
Table of Contents
- What is banoffee pie?
- Why this is the best banoffee pie recipe
- Ingredients
- Special equipment
- How to make this easy banoffee pie recipe
- How to serve banoffee pie
- Expert tips
- Frequently asked questions
- A few more of my best pie recipes
What is banoffee pie?
“Banoffee” is a mashup of two words: banana and toffee. And that’s just what this pie is all about!
It’s got a crunchy, buttery graham cracker crust, a layer of smooth toffee filling, tons of fresh bananas, and a mountain of whipped cream.
The toffee filling has a soft, almost fudgy consistency, and the flavor is a lot like Biscoff cookie butter (aka: speculoos spread) or a really flavorful butterscotch. It’s very buttery and rich, and it’s got a slightly savory backnote that compliments the sweet bananas in such a gorgeous way. I absolutely love the combination!
Why this is the best banoffee pie recipe
- Tastes amazing: The combination of buttery toffee, bananas, and whipped cream will make you swoon!
- Few ingredients: You’ll only need a handful of pantry staples to make it.
- Easy to make: The whole thing comes together in a snap.
- Foolproof: I’ve taken the guesswork out! Your filling will cook up to the perfect soft yet firm consistency, each and every time.
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust: Use either a pre-made store-bought Graham cracker crust, or make my easy homemade Graham cracker crust! I personally think it tastes way better and it’s super simple to make with just Graham cracker crumbs, light brown sugar, cinnamon, kosher salt, and melted butter.
Butter: Unsalted butter also goes into the toffee filling. I like unsalted butter best for consistency’s sake. You never know exactly how much salt is in the butter you use. So this way you get to control that.
Sugar: Dark brown sugar lends its warm, slightly bittersweet molasses flavor to the toffee filling.
Condensed milk: Sweetened condensed milk is sold in 14 ounce cans. It’s made from whole milk, boiled down with sugar until thick. The consistency is similar to caramel, but it’s not brown. Make sure you’re buying condensed milk and not evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is similar, but it doesn’t have any sweetness to it.
Salt: I prefer kosher salt for it’s clean flavor. There are no bitter-tasting additives like iodine. Plus it’s cheap and easy to find.
Bananas: I’ve used 2 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces. Feel free to throw in another one if you like your banoffee pie extra-banana-y.
Whipped cream: Cold heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar come together to make the whipped cream layer on top. Make sure you’re buying “heavy cream,” “whipping cream,” or “heavy whipping cream” for this recipe. They are all different labels that mean the same thing. If you are outside of the US, it could also go by the name “double cream.” Light cream won’t work for this recipe. Neither will half and half or milk. You need the high fat content in order for it to whip up stiff enough to hold a soft peak.
Chocolate shavings: This is an optional garnish. To make chocolate shavings, just run a veggie peeler along the side of a chocolate bar.
Special equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons: Follow my guide on how to measure ingredients.
- Bowl: For mixing up the Graham cracker crust and the whipped cream.
- Pie dish: A standard-sized pie dish. It doesn’t matter if it’s metal, glass, or stoneware.
- Pot: In which to cook the toffee.
- Silicone spatula: The toffee will need to be stirred as it cooks, so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. This tool also helps to get every last bit out of the pot or bowl!
- Thermometer: An instant-read digital thermometer will tell you exactly when it’s time to take the toffee off the heat.
- Knife: For slicing up the bananas.
- Mixer: Either a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment or a handheld electric mixer. Or you can use a whisk and whip the cream by hand.
- Vegetable peeler: For creating the chocolate shaving garnish.
How to make this easy banoffee pie recipe
This recipe comes together in just 4 simple steps!
Step 1: Graham cracker crust
Start by dumping your Graham cracker crumbs, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a big bowl.
Stir them all together and then add the melted butter.
Mix the butter in until it’s all combined, then tip the mixture into your pie dish.
Press it into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides, then whisk it into the fridge to chill and firm up.
Step 2: Toffee filling
While the crust is chilling, you can get going on the filling.
Pop some butter into a small pot and add the brown sugar.
Cook these two ingredients together over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
At first they’ll want to separate, but as things heat up they should come together to form a syrupy consistency.
Next, stir in the sweetened condensed milk and the salt.
Allow the mixture to come to a bubble, and pop in the thermometer.
Keep stirring and cooking until the filling hits somewhere between the 240 and 245-degree F mark. This is known as the “firm ball stage.” At this critical temperature, you can know for sure that your toffee filling will cool to a soft yet firm, sliceable consistency.
Once you hit that temp, take it right off the heat and immediately pour it into the chilled crust.
Place it back in the fridge to chill until completely cooled.
Step 3: Bananas
Once there’s no hint of warmth left in the toffee, you can layer on the bananas.
Step 4: Whipped cream
Next comes the whipped cream.
Just whip the cold heavy cream and the powdered sugar until the mixture can hold soft peaks.
Then blanket it over the fresh bananas.
Take it all the way to the edges, creating big, pillow-y billows with your spatula.
Make sure all the bananas are completely covered so no air gets to them. If it does, it will oxidize them.
How to serve banoffee pie
This dish can be served at room temperature or chilled. It’s great for dessert or for an afternoon pick-me-up.
I like to garnish the top of the pie with chocolate shavings. Just run a peeler along the side of a chocolate bar to create this pretty adornment.
Or not! It’s completely optional.
Expert tips
Measuring cup: The bottom of a measuring cup works really well to press the Graham cracker mixture evenly into your pie dish.
Cool completely: If the toffee filling is still at all warm, it will deflate your whipped cream topping. I like to give it at least an hour, preferably two, in the fridge before layering on the bananas and whipped cream.
Work fast: Have your whipped cream ready before you peel and slice your bananas. This way, they’ll be covered almost immediately and protected from turning black due to exposure to the air.
Cocoa: If you don’t have a chocolate bar handy for shaving, dust the top of the pie with a sprinkling of unsweetened cocoa powder instead. It doesn’t matter if it’s natural or Dutched!
Frequently asked questions
I realize that Graham crackers can be tough to source for those outside of the US.
In my experience, the closest substitute is Lotus Biscoff Cookies. Digestive Biscuits or Maria Cookies will also work.
If you undercook your toffee it will not cool to the proper consistency. It will be more of a sauce, and it will run out the sides when you slice into the pie.
Use a digital thermometer to pinpoint the exact temperature for “firm ball stage” (just over 240-degrees F). The mixture will still look runny in the pot, but as it cools it will firm up to a slice-able consistency.
If you overcook your toffee it could come out too firm and grainy. The consistency will be more like a hardened fudge.
Again, the thermometer will guide you with specific instructions. As soon as you hit the proper temp, take it right off the heat and pour it into the crust. This way it gets out of the hot pot before the temperature increases any further.
Sadly, this dessert does not keep for very long. It’s because of the fresh bananas.
I’m sure you’ve seen it happen before; once a banana is peeled it will quickly start to oxidize and turn black.
So try to eat it all up within 24 hours of it being made!
I’d suggest making the crust and filling it with the toffee up to a few days ahead.
But adding the bananas and whipped cream is probably not advisable. The bananas could oxidize as they sit and the whipped cream could deflate or weep.
This pie easily cuts into 10 generous slices.
The nutritional info below is for 1 slice, or 1/10th of the whole pie. It includes the homemade crust, toffee filling, bananas, and lightly sweetened whipped cream.
A few more of my best pie recipes
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Banoffee Pie
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/2 cups (126 g) graham cracker crumbs*
- 1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar, , loosely packed
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.75 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, , melted
For the Banoffee Filling
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup (73.33 g) dark brown sugar,, tightly packed
- 14 ounces (396.89 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 teaspoon (4.5 g) kosher salt
- 2 (236 g) bananas, , sliced
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons (16 g) powdered sugar
- chocolate curls,, for garnish
Instructions
To make the Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour the melted butter into the bowl, and stir the mixture together until mixed.
- Tip the mixture into a 9-inch diameter pie pan, and press into the bottom and up the sides.
- Chill in the refrigerator until firm.
To make the Banoffee Filling
- Place the butter and brown sugar in a small pot over medium-low heat.
- Cook, stirring, until the brown sugar and butter are syrupy and combined.
- Add the condensed milk and salt, and bring to a low simmer, stirring.
- Simmer until the toffee has become darker and thickened, stirring, and reaches a temperature of 240 to 245-degrees F (exact time can vary based on the power of your burner).
- Transfer the toffee to the prepared crust, and chill until completely cooled.
- Whip the cream and powdered sugar together until it holds stiff peaks.
- Layer sliced bananas over the toffee filling.
- Top with pie with the whipped cream, and garnish with chocolate shavings.
Question- where does the extra five minutes of cooking come in? At the top it says 10 minutes of baking required, but the recipe itself only mentions five minutes of baking for the crust.
The additional cook time is for the filling.
This pie looks crazy delicious! I’m sure it disappears fast!